One Last Trick
by butterflydreams04
Summary: In another universe, Loki gives his life for Thor on the Statesman, because an Odinson must die. Still, Thanos snaps his fingers, and the world is halved. But when the other Odinson dies, reality is ripped at its core once, so what's a few more times? If prophecy must come true, then Loki will play all his tricks to make sure that fate follows his directive.


**Title:** One Last Trick

**Author:** butterflydreams04

**Summary:** In another universe, Loki gives his life for Thor on the Statesman, because an Odinson must die. Still, Thanos snaps his fingers, and the world is halved. But when the other Odinson dies, reality is ripped at its core once, so what's a few more times? If prophecy must come true, then Loki will play all his tricks to make sure that fate follows his directive.

**Rating:** T

**Author's note:** After watching Endgame, I wasn't satisfied with the ending that both Odinsons received. I've had this idea for some time now, and I finally managed to put it into words. I struggled a bit with the pacing of the story, but I think it turned out pretty well. I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any element from the Marvel Universe.

**Warning:** A few spoilers for Infinity War - just in case you haven't watched it yet.

* * *

Everywhere he goes, there is destruction. No matter the path he chooses or the time, fire always leaves a scorching trail behind him, so much that he wonders how other beings – how _he_ – haven't followed him yet. And though it is not his intention to bring ruin upon creation, the same words accompany his thoughts regardless of his actions.

_You are a destroyer, Odinson._

His fingers quiver around the cold scepter. He remembers the Mind Stone's pull well; even now that he fights it, it entices him with dreams that he wished fulfilled years ago. But now, he is a changed man who's seen the world's end so many times that there is no illusion that can offer him respite.

There was a reason why he was made to carry the scepter. Everything was for this moment. If it had been anyone else, the Infinity Stone would have been out of his reach, he who claimed to save the world from its end. And so fate put on his shoulders years of pain, disgrace and hate so that when this moment came into play, he would have a Stone in his possession.

Loki laughs. It is a bitter, ragged, ironic sound. All around him, New York burns, and he wonders how this is any different from the destruction he sought to mend. Staring at the carnage devouring the city, Loki knows that the universe will never claim him as its savior, and he cannot blame it. The Norns have sucked every ounce of will left in him till he feels bone dry. Let the world survive thinking itself free from its greatest foe. Let the heroes dwell in this victory with no knowledge of the possible failure that blackened their future.

It was for this that Loki agreed to return. He swore that he would never again fall into the pit of despair that had found the scepter in his hand, his mind in shambles, and his body out of his control bringing ruin to the mortal world. And yet he willingly submitted himself to this torture, not for the recognition or the glory or even to save the universe. There is only one reason Loki would ever become a hero. There is only one reason left to Loki at all.

Thor.

* * *

_It feels right._

_Something about this moment feels transcending, holy beyond its time. Loki knows he stares death in the eyes, and yet he cares not for his own fate. From the corner of his eye, he sees his brother kneeling under the weight of metal, and he knows that his decision could be no else._

_The Odinson must die._

_Loki always hated prophecies. And yet he cannot remember where he heard those words. Though they seem right – everything feels right, and for the first time in his life Loki knows his actions will not be met with scorn. It is the weirdest impression, that he will finally be able to prove himself and make Thor proud._

_Too bad that all he would collect would be his death._

_ "__I, Loki, Prince of Asgard."_

_He pauses. The Odinson must die._

_ "__Odinson."_

_Yes, he must die._

_ "__Rightful King of Jotunheim. God of Mischief."_

_Please, Norns, let his one last trick succeed._

_ "__Do hereby pledge my undying fidelity."_

_Undying. In this universe, Loki dies on the Statesmen for Thor. The prophecy is fulfilled, and though Thanos ultimately collects the Stones and snaps, the universe is saved._

_But in another reality, fate plays not in the same way. _

_And the world ends._

* * *

"Loki, end this madness!"

The God of Mischief whirls around when he hears his name, when he hears that voice. His dull eyes fall on Thor and something in him instantly rebels.

He does not want to do this. Does he not deserve some recompense for his many sacrifices? Can he not feel safe in his brother's arms one time at least? Please, Norns, would you not grant him this wish?

All those thoughts wrap up in one bundle of emotions that burns inside of him. There should be nothing left of Loki to speak with such passion. He is but a mere shadow, passively reliving this reality so that he may save the world. He sacrificed himself when he chose this path, and he cannot revoke that sacrifice.

"It's too late," he hisses, and only a tear betrays his pain. "It's too late to stop it."

Thor frowns, and pushes harder against him. The blade shakes in Loki's other hand. He cannot stab his brother, not this time. Not when the sight of Thor brings an unwanted smile to his face. All his energy is spent trying to hide that smile lest his plan be revealed. Once, he'd played this role so perfectly that even _he_ did not see his demise until an explosion ripped through his army. Now Loki plays so many roles that he is not sure who he plays them for.

But this feels right. And Loki has not known that feeling unless he was accomplishing fate's will. So this must be the path it desires for him.

"Look around you!" Thor screams. "Do you think this madness will end with your rule?"

Loki looks. There is destruction and death. There is fear and misery. There is fire and ruins.

It is nothing compared to the end that Loki brought.

_You are a destroyer, Odinson._

"It will end with yours," Loki says earnestly, truthfully.

Thor is confused, understandably so. "Brother, please, we can end this together."

Loki is tempted, the Norns know how tempted he is. But the last time he gave in to his brother's pleading was yet another failure. This is the role fate cast him into. Loki is to forever be a despised villain. If he tries to be a hero, there will only be pain and destruction in his future. He has tried, oh so many times, to rewrite his own story, but this is one truth that is etched in stone.

_You are a destroyer, Odinson._

Two lines of prophecy that would seal the world's fate, and yet only one of two would ever carry their burden.

_The Odinson must die._

And though only one need perish, the second always dies, no matter the outcome.

* * *

_"__Are you certain you want to attempt this?"_

_ "__It is not my first time."_

_ "__Then you must know that your soul has already been stretched beyond its limits."_

_ "__My soul, my mind, my life… all of that no longer matters. I sacrificed my very existence so that the world may be saved. You cannot hope to convince me by appealing to my self-preservation instincts."_

_ "… __you seem strangely passionate about death. Why would I allow this? Why would I risk reality for your own personal benefit?"_

_ "__I have seen the world end many more times than your human mind may comprehend. I have seen the world swallowed in darkness, the blood of heroes spilt in vain, and the only way for the world to be spared this fate… is for me not to see it at all."_

_ "__Have you come to me before?"_

_ "…__Yes."_

_ "__And I allowed it?"_

_ "__I am here, aren't I?"_

_ "__You could stay here. Your knowledge is invaluable. Instead of restarting everything, you could prepare us for the coming threat."_

_ "__I have nothing left to live for here. But my life is not in my own hands anymore. I must do this. Please."_

_ "__How far back?"_

_ "…__A year. I need a year."_

_ "__I hope you succeed, Loki Odinson."_

_ "__Do not worry. This is one trick that has yet to fail me."_

* * *

"Will you not save the world with me, Brother?" Thor asks.

His expression is so hurt that Loki can barely deny him. But he must. "I can't save it with you." _I am saving it all on my own. Like I always do._

Loki knows that if Thor keeps speaking he will finally cave. And so he charges, his scepter glowing an eerie blue. There is nothing but the rush of the fight that will make him forget the weight that he holds on his shoulders, the truth that he bears, the future that he must see through. He stays alert and vigilant, waiting for the decisive moment where fate will be decided.

Thor unknowingly plays along. But while both of them fight viciously, neither wants to hurt the other, and so they dance for a millennium on the top of Stark Tower. Loki wishes he could prolong this moment, even though he stands on the other side of his brother's weapon.

Six hundred and forty-three times has he relived this life. Six hundred and forty-three times has he accepted to bear the same pain. Six hundred and forty-three times he attempted to change his fate. Six hundred and forty-three times he has seen Thor die.

There are some rules he knows cannot be broken. Once, he told Thor the truth and that scenario ended the fastest. Another, he guided Asgard's army to Thanos' lair, but that only brought the end of the world faster. Yet another time, he attempted to collect the Infinity Stones himself, but the Soul required a sacrifice and Loki has only ever loved one thing in this world.

And every time, Thor died, but Loki could not accept that. There could be no reality without Thor, though Loki knew that the Odinson must die. Yet, he defied fate, believing that he could come out victorious at least once.

He only miserably failed. Until finally he saw his success.

All of his tricks failed – all of his tricks except this one.

Through the many lives that Loki has relived, there is one fateful moment that he has relentlessly sought to prevent. He remembers a colored bridge, blazing stars, and fire swallowing the universe beneath him. He remembers two words and unbelievable pain that sent him over the edge. Loki knows that this was the start of everything. And in all his attempts to restore the natural order, he becomes the best brother Thor could hope for, and the most wondrous son his adopted parents could have wished him to be, and he does not fall. And yet, it is not enough. Each time Loki witnesses the end of the world, he convinces himself that this is not a sign, that he need not follow the path that led him here.

But he does. Three times he allows the Jotuns passage into Asgard, but only in two of those he falls from the Rainbow Bridge. Of these two, only in one does he agree to do _his_ bidding.

This is this one time.

* * *

_Madness, that is all that keeps Loki going. _

_He knows that Thor will follow him soon. He barely has the time to reach the Bifrost and trigger its mechanism before he hears the telltale sound of wind flipping against the metal globe. Hurriedly, he grows icy branches around the sword, hoping enough power will build up to eradicate the threat. _

_Thor flies in. The Bifrost floor rumbles when he lands, and the walls shake with the added power. Loki must hold his breath to stop himself from blurting out his real plan. Thor must not know the truth; that is the one golden rule that Loki has learned through this experience._

_ "__Stop this, Brother," Thor says. "Why would you seek to destroy Jotunheim?"_

_If only, Loki thinks. He so desperately wishes to tell Thor the truth, but he cannot. Thor will not know that the beam of light cutting through space is in fact aimed at Thanos' lair somewhere in the deepest and darkest confines of the universe. Thor will not know that by fighting Loki he is only aiding their greatest enemy. _

_ "__I am not your brother, I never was," Loki replies through gritted teeth, because through this web of lies this is the only truth that holds – because the wound is still raw enough for a believable lie to grow from it._

_They fight, though all of Loki's moves are to make sure that Thor is not wounded. He will not allow his brother to die while he is so close to victory. Only a minute more, and Thanos should be dead. That is Loki's only consolation._

_Until a blazing light travels across the bridge, past the frozen brothers, and destroys the Bifrost in a shower of burning gold. Loki is sent flying, and by some ironic twist of fate, he finds himself hanging again from his father's spear, Thor holding on to him on the other end, and Odin standing above them like the judging hand of the Norns. _

_Loki doesn't understand. Why would Odin destroy the Bifrost? Why ruin his plan?_

_ "__I could have done it, father!" he tries. "I could have done it for you! For all of us!"_

_Odin doesn't even blink. "No, Loki."_

_Loki understands, then. Slowly, coldly, he comes to a realization that, even after six hundred and forty-three lives, shakes him to the core._

The Odinson must die.

_Loki lets go._

* * *

Odinson. The day the All-Father decided to enact mercy on a small creature abandoned in the frozen pits of a desolate land, he'd changed the course of time and the meaning of prophecy. For every time the name Odinson was spelled in history, there was now a double meaning, and a double purpose. It is only then that Loki understands, finally, why the All-Father saved him. For everything Odin does there is a purpose, and though Loki's birthright was death and destruction, the All-Father traded that destiny to make him a savior.

Though one Odinson must be a destroyer, the other has yet free will for fate has not accepted him as a son of the All-Father. And fate has not accepted him as a son of the All-Father, because Loki himself has denied Odin's parentage. And by this doing he'd opened before him the realm of possibilities that would save him from prophecy and the rest of the world from destruction.

_You are a destroyer, Odinson._

But was he ever one? Yes, Odin, now your actions take meaning. Loki was never meant to accept himself. He was condemned by the All-Father's hand to fall and see the truth in the confines of the universe where only nightmarish creatures – where _he _– hides. Loki was cursed to a death that was repeatedly thwarted, time and again, and that Jotunheim's ice and _his_ torturous grip could not enact. Yes, Odin, now your plan is revealed, and it is maddeningly genius. Loki was always meant to fall, and Odin had raised him for this very purpose like a lamb for slaughter. Every hurt, every punishment, every injustice was calculated, and Loki could only wonder if Odin's heart had broken even slightly for him.

Though one Odinson must be a destroyer, the other has yet free will. For Odin had looked fate in the eye and raised another son by a title that all would recognize and fear – that even _he_ would fear. Loki's life had been nothing but blatant manipulation – a sacrifice – and Odin had played the role of catalyst till the very end. Two words – no, Loki – had sealed fate, and once Loki landed in _his_ hands, Odin's message was clear.

The All-Father had sent _him_ a warning. Sacrificed at the altar of a fate that Loki did not yet know, his title that Odin had taken great care to forge a reputation for through the Realms – Loki Odinson, the God of Mischief – doomed him.

For only an Odinson feared fate, and yet only the God of Tricks could play fate's strings. Raised both in curse and blessing, Odin's second son divided prophecy and terrified _him_. There laid the fate of the sons of Odin. For every time the second was a destroyer, the first was savior. And for every time the second was a savior, the first was destroyer.

In another universe, Loki gives his life for Thor on the Statesman, because an Odinson must die. Still, Thanos snaps his fingers, and the world is halved because the first son was cast into the role of destroyer. And though destruction must be Thanos' doom, it comes with too hefty a price. Yet, the universe is saved, and fate sings both Odinsons' praises.

But in a reality where the first dies, the second's destruction is much harsher and the world comes to an end. And because he still lives, the God of Tricks will make sure that reality follows his directive. And that is the reason he stands now, amidst the burning ruins of Midgard, praying that his soul will not once again be impaled on the pain of the other's death. There was one way only for the tragedy to be averted, and it dictated that he be the savior so that Thor's destruction is channeled against the enemy rather than the world.

In another reality, Stephen told Loki that he has seen the world end six hundred and forty-three times. He did not tell Loki that he would have to live through each and every one of them before he finally reached the last one.

This is that last one – the only one in which they win – the one in which Loki plays his last trick.

* * *

_"__Thor, no, don't do this to me!"_

_Thor smiles through his pain, blood coating his chin. "I am proud of you, brother. You have redeemed yourself in the world's eyes and mine."_

_Loki's eyes gush tears like waterfalls and his fingers fist Thor's cape. "I came back for you. I came back for you. You can't leave me."_

_Somewhere around them, the Avengers are gathering, but Loki pays them no mind. This is the price for his bravery, for his defiance of fate._

_The God of Tricks._

_And yet all his tricks seem to fail. All except one._

_A hand falls on Loki's shoulder but he barely feels it. "What would I do without you? Will I tell our parents that I killed their son?"_

_ "__No," Thor breathes, "you saved him. You saved Midgard."_

_ "__At a price," Loki hisses bitterly._

_ "__There is no price high enough for the universe's survival."_

_Loki pauses, considers the words, and he knows then. This is starting to feel right._

_ "__Do you know that you sacrifice my heart along with yours when you die for your precious universe?" he asks._

_Thor cups his face, and new tears rinse Loki's cheeks. How he has longed to feel this warmth again. "Forgive me," Thor whispers. "But you must understand that it is my duty to serve the Realms. My life was always forfeit; it is my fate. And no one can hope change fate."_

_All except for one trick._

_ "__I will save you," Loki swears. _

_Thor frowns. "Live well, little brother." And then his blank eyes leave Loki's face and the Mighty Thunderer dies._

_It takes but a minute for Loki to mend his soul with the same cold balm he applies after each death. His heart should be unfeeling, he thinks, after so many times he has held his brother's corpse, but the pain is still as sharp as the first time._

_Time. The universe's greatest lie._

_And Loki is the God of Lies._

_He stands, and leaves the Avengers standing around Thor's body. He knows the path that fate has forged for him. He only wishes he will be able to feel Thor's embrace one last time. _

_He resolutely marches down the streets of New York city until the ancient building he is looking for comes into view._

_Yes, this feels right. This is right._

_This would be the last time Loki saw Thor die._

* * *

Thor never sees it coming. As he always never does. And he would have died. As he always ever did.

But he doesn't.

Because Loki, cursed by the Norns, always sees it coming. But this time, he was ready.

There is a brilliant flash, and a broken cry. When Thor's vision clears, he falls to his knees in despair. There is pain in his chest, and yet no wound. He is still alive, and yet he believes that he has died and gone to inglorious, hellish Nilfheim.

Because lying before him, broken and gasping, pierced through the heart with his own spear, is his _little brother_.

Thor stops breathing for a small eternity. No, this is not real. This is another of Loki's illusions meant to ridicule him, to humiliate him, a lesson his brother had just instilled in him – sentiment. This is not his brother whose bony fingers stumble upon the hard metal edge buried in his chest like a war hatch. This is not his brother who rinses the tiles of Stark's modern structure with a blood as ancient as the Nine Realms. This is not his brother who levels upon Thor a gaze so penetrating the god of Thunder might have been pierced as well. This is not his brother, with the cutting emerald eyes vibrating with fleeting, fragile life. This _is not_-

And yet… and yet, Loki never plays the same trick twice.

"Br-brother," Loki pleads breathlessly.

A Chitauri weapon explodes somewhere and Thor breaks out of his thoughts. And he wishes, then and there, that this was Nilfheim, where he would spend eternity reliving this harrowing moment, rather than be alive and live it in dreadful, unique finality.

"No, no, no, no," Thor chants as he crawls towards Loki, slipping on the thick blood coating the floor. He prays, utters every word of mercy he knows, invokes every deity in existence or imagined, and yet in the seconds in which he drags himself to his brother's side, the nightmare doesn't end.

"Loki, no!" he wails. With shaking hands, he draws the spear out of his brother's chest and throws it to the side. Loki's yelp of pain brings the first tears to his cheeks. "No don't do this to me," Thor begs.

Loki – brilliant, amazing, mischievous Loki – is smiling, his lips blood red against his chalk white face.

"Brother," he rasps. "Please… hold me."

Thor cries harder and throws his arms around his little brother, smothering him like a mother bear her cub. "Don't do this to me," he repeats in despair.

Loki draws in a shuddering breath. "I've never even allowed myself to dream of this moment," he says.

Thor shakes his head. "What are you talking about? Is my pain so precious to you that you would forsake your own life? Would you really go to such lengths only to – Stop smiling! By the Norns, you are dying, wipe that smile off your face, or I will… I will-"

"I'm so sorry," Loki whispers in a breath. He too is crying, fragile droplets running down his crimson cheeks. "I couldn't let you die. Not this time. I couldn't let you die."

"You should have!" Thor retorts, gripping his little brother as if that would hold death at bay.

"No, no, you can't die," Loki says frantically. "I only ever wanted… I only ever wanted you to hold me, one last time…but you always die before I can feel-"

"Sh, sh, it's alright now," Thor croaks, rocking his brother back and forth. "I am not letting you go, never again. Do you hear me? Let death come, let her try to snatch you away from me, and I will show her the power of the Mighty Thor."

Loki attempts to laugh, but with the tears and blood smearing his face he looks the picture of madness. "I only wanted you to hold me again. But you always… and the Norns didn't allow it… I had to fall, I had to be… had to reject you, had to hate you, but I didn't want it. I didn't mean it. And this time, though you still live, the Norns would not allow me to bask in your embrace… for more than a few moments."

"Stop speaking this nonsense," Thor admonishes as he runs his fingers in Loki's soft hair. "It will be alright. There is still time to heal you."

"Thor."

Up till now, Thor has rested his cheek on Loki's forehead, but at his brother's serious tone he raises his head to face him – to face reality.

"My heart has been pierced," Loki continues, his eyes trailing down to his open, bloody chest. "I am only tethered to this world by my magic, but once I let go-"

"No!" Thor cries, gripping him harder. "No, don't you dare let go. Help will come. I will bring you back to Asgard. You will live, and I will tell Father-"

"Thor," Loki interrupts again, his voice trembling. His eyes are sad, but he still has that smile on his lips, and looks at Thor as if he is the sun. "I'm tired."

"No! No, you are not. I forbid you to let go."

"It's not me… who should let go, now."

Thor wails again, his heart ripped in more pieces than he can count. "Norns, you would put me through this too, that I must send my brother to death."

"I'm so sorry…"

"Sh, sh," Thor breathes as he pats Loki's head reassuringly. "It will be alright."

"I'm tired."

"I know, I know, but help will come soon."

"Thor," Loki calls. He is shaking now. "I am truly happy-"

"Sh, sh, don't say that, what nonsense-"

"-I'm happy that I finally got to feel safe… in your arms," Loki swallows painfully before he continues, "one last time."

Thor shakes his head, lips quivering. "Please, don't do this to me."

Loki raises his brilliant, broken eyes to his. "I love you, brother."

Thor cries out as if a sword has run him through. After a year of heartache, blame and guilt, those are the words he has only dreamed of hearing from his brother. He collapses on Loki, kissing his face and hands, murmuring words of denial.

"Please say it to me," Loki murmurs, fingers gripping Thor's leather armor. "Please tell me-"

"I love you," Thor gasps out. "I love you with all my heart. I would have rather died a thousand deaths than have to live through yours once."

Loki looks at him earnestly. "I know."

Thor closes his eyes, swallows past the lump in his throat and takes in his brother's figure one last time. "You can let go," he whispers.

Loki's hand reaches for Thor's cheek. "I love you, brother."

The god of thunder squeezes his little brother's fingers. "I love you, Loki."

Loki nods, looking for all the world as if his greatest desires have been fulfilled.

And he lets go.

His eyelids flutter to a close, his body goes limp, and his head rolls to the side. But his smile remains on his lips, delicate, fragile and timeless, unbroken by death.

Only that smile and Thor remain.

* * *

_"__The Stone or your brother's head. I assume you have a preference."_

_ "__Oh, I do. Kill away."_

_This feels right. This is right. In some twisted part of his brain, Loki recognizes fate's will in the gruesome scene of Thor's torture at Thanos' hand. Words press against his lips as Thor's screams echo in the deadly silence of the broken ship. But in this reality, Loki considers the fate of the universe, and he wonders if his soul can bear any more tragedies. He cannot be the downfall of the world, he thinks. Even if he must sacrifice his own brother, he cannot allow himself to be named the world's destroyer._

_This is when it stops being right._

_And so, when Thor dies under the Power Stone's magic, when Loki escapes the burning ship and warns the heroes of earth, when he stands in a field with Thanos' head at his feet, Loki collects the Infinity Stones and snaps his fingers._

_It is strange that in trying to save the world, Loki destroys it. He knows the prophecies, and it was for this purpose that he chose to be savior. So that Thor's destruction would be aimed at Thanos and both Odinsons would be acclaimed._

_Loki doesn't remember when this stopped feeling right. What more would the universe ask from him? He sacrificed his brother hoping that his death would not be permanent by the will of the prophecies. But Loki had somehow missed a sign, made a mistake, and he failed the one and only task that he'd been born to accomplish._

_He'd forgotten his one and only trick._

_The world ends for the first time then. Or at least, it does for the rest of the universe's population. For Loki, it ended in the darkness of the Statesman with Thor's last accusing look in his direction._

_The universe was spared the loss of half of life, but it suffered its own utter destruction. In the end, there is nothing left but the God of Tricks and a Stone._

_From then on, the world rewinds itself until realities across the verses align – until Loki learns his destiny,_

You are a destroyer, Odinson_._

_Loki must destroy the world for Thor to be its savior. He does it many more times than he can remember, but Thor never lives long enough to be the hero. And so in becoming its destroyer, Loki unknowingly saves the world. But is it not enough._

The Odinson must die.

_A son of Odin must die, but Loki has yet to let go._

_Until he does._

* * *

"Thor."

Loki's face is so peaceful. It shouldn't be; all that Thor feels is pain and misery, and he always had Loki to share his grief with. Why must it be that now Loki is the source of that grief?

"Thor!"

The god of thunder raises his head. Natasha Romanoff and Eric Selvig are looking at him with concern. Thor's throat goes dry, and he ducks his head to hide his tears, only to be met with the sight of Loki's dead body.

"I'm sorry," Natasha says quietly. She strikes Thor as the emotionless type – as Loki once was before madness overtook him – and he fully understands how deep the sentiment must run for her to express it so openly.

"I wish it could have been me instead of you," she continues.

Thor frowns in confusion. Loki could be sleeping in his arms, he thinks. He does not need to be dead. "I don't understand."

Natasha's eyebrows furrow and she shares a look with Selvig. The doctor sighs and approaches the god. "Maybe you should let go of him, now, Thor," he suggests calmly.

"No," Thor replies. If he moves, Loki might wake. "What do you mean?"

Natasha's face is impassive. "I thought we had established enough, uh, companionship between us for you to believe that I would take this burden from you. It's… nothing that I haven't done before."

Thor doesn't take his eyes off Loki's sleeping figure. "I didn't mean to offend you. I only do not understand what this burden is that you speak of."

Around them, the city is growing silent. The portal is closed, and only then does Thor notice that someone took the scepter that he'd ripped out of Loki's-

"Is this some kind of syndrome?" Natasha asks Selvig. "I don't think even denial is strong enough for this."

Selvig's eyes narrow. "Thor, I… I don't know how to say this. Don't you…remember?"

"Remember what?" Thor asks, finally raising his eyes to his friend's face.

"Thor, the scepter," Selvig explains. "You had the scepter when…"

Slowly, painfully, barely, the pieces click together in Thor's mind. He rises to his feet in anger, Mjolnir in hand before he can think to reach for it, and levels a glare that cowed armies on the mortals. "How dare you!" he snaps. "You would think me capable of such a crime? A kin-slayer, me? How could I be when Loki isn't even-?"

The word 'dead' doesn't make it past the barrier of his lips. Thor stretches his arm out to demonstrate hard evidence that would squash the allegations made against him, to show to his friends his sleeping brother, and his eyes fall on Loki's corpse. He sees the blood again, and it all comes back to him. He sees the flash of light, and only then notices that it had a yellow tint. He sees the scepter buried in Loki's chest, and only then he wonders how his brother could have been impaled with his own weapon. He remembers that Loki controlled others with the scepter. He remembers that only Loki could have given the scepter to him, and only if he trusted him. He remembers that Loki only trusts himself and his power. He doesn't remember that his eyes turned blue and the Mind Stone overtook his senses at his brother's command.

Thor crashes to his knees. Loki lays still in death, the mischievous smile on his lips the last remnants of his one and only trick. Thor doesn't know who this trick was for – he cannot yet understand that it was for him, for Loki himself, for Thanos, and for the universe. His hands slam against the tiles of Stark Tower as he breaks into guttural sobs, the reality of his brother's death finally hitting him.

He killed his brother. Thor killed Loki. Thor, Kin-slayer. Thor, who would have to tell Odin, tell _Frigga_, that he'd killed Loki. Thor, who'd come to Earth to save his brother and had instead facilitated his suicide. Thor, who cannot know yet that Loki had to die for him to live. Thor, who cannot know yet that Loki, however he tried to convince himself, couldn't willingly let go of this world. Thor, who was Loki's only – and regrettable – choice for his trick to work.

Thor, who cries for hours at the top of Stark's tower, Loki's corpse clutched to his chest in an ever-lasting apology.

Thor, who, this time, is the only Odinson left.

* * *

_The field is a charred mess of blood and soot. In the blackened ring of grass, Loki kneels with his head raised to the heavens. Blood is smudged under his eyes, and power still trickles from his fingers in rivulets of emerald that he can barely suppress. His arms shake from the strain of seidr coursing forcefully through his body, and yet his mind is frozen, empty, dead._

_Or so it wishes._

_Stephen Strange approaches the fallen god, though Loki does not see him. His eyes, raised to the blue sky, wish for nothing but the black end of blindness. The sorcerer does not dare touch the Asgardian, and he rips his gaze away from the open vulnerability so freely displayed in this moment of weakness. _

_Thanos' head lays at their feet._

_ "__You live still," Loki whispers, eyebrows furrowing._

_"__I hid in the mirror dimension."_

_Loki laughs – a broken, breathless, desperate sound. "You coward. You left the world to die at my hand, and come now to seek retribution. For whom? Everyone else is dead, though only I among them wished I were."_

_Stephen stares at the god with warring emotions. "You killed Thanos, whose purpose was to end half of life. And then you decimated life itself. The world doesn't exist anymore. You were going to kill yourself in your own destruction, and so I pulled you into the mirror dimension with me at the last moment." He kicks at Thanos' head. "This came along on accident."_

_Loki snarls, his gaze snapping to the sorcerer's face. "I live by your fault. How dare you!"_

_He jumps at the other man, but Stephen catches the god's wrist before the knife can sink into his flesh. "You have brought destruction to the world. I think it is only fitting that you would live as penance."_

_Loki deflates and slumps back to the ground. "It should have been me."_

_ "__It could still be."_

_Hopeful eyes burn through Stephen's face. "I start to question your morality, Doctor. What are you suggesting?"_

_The mechanism hiding the Time Stone unravels, and the Infinity Stone glows a bright green. "I retrieved this after you used the Stones to… destroy the world. I understand your madness. I went forward in time before the battle with Thanos, to see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict. I watched the world end six hundred and forty-three times. I cannot tell you what transpired in each of them, but I read the prophecies, and I know that fate played with you so you reached this point. Still… the destruction it warned about at your hands was underrated, and I mistook the signs. But we can still fix this. As strange as it may sound, this is the one time that we win."_

_Loki's eyebrows draw together. "Prophecies?"_

_ "__If the second is savior, then the first will be destroyer. If the second is destroyer, the first will be savior."_

_ "__And who might these lines refer to?"_

_Stephen's face remains carefully blank. "You know. We had only two possibilities, dictated by one being's choice, one to save the world and one to end it." He casts his gaze around. "Guess which one came true."_

_ "__I do not fail to notice that the second seems to make his choice before the first."_

_ "__The second always makes the choice. That is why the fate of the world hangs in his hands. Death will always be required on his part, though if it is his own or that of the world is his choice. But he will grant death, and so he will choose the path reality will take. That is the task he was given when he became-"_

_ "__The God of Tricks," Loki spits. He stands, regaining his balance with difficulty. "What would you suggest?"_

_ "__You can play with the threads of fate, and I can play with the threads of time," Stephen says. "With our powers combined, we can still save this world."_

_Loki seems to age a hundred years in the few seconds of silence that follow. "Alright, then. Kill me."_

_Stephen's gaze turns sad as he looks at the broken god who would risk pain and death again to save the universe he'd just annihilated. "Farewell, Loki Odinson."_

_Loki stares at him with unforgiving emerald eyes. "Remember this," he hisses. "Remember me in this instant of glory in which the world was at my mercy."_

_Stephen remains silent. _

_A tear travels down Loki's cheek. "Remember what I could have become. What I didn't _want_ to become."_

_ "__I will."_

_As a flash of green overtakes the world, and swallows Loki in its grasp, Stephen offers his parting words. "Remember. The Odinson must die."_

* * *

"Strange?"

Stephen's eyes snap open as he gasps. Only Stark's steadying hand prevents him from crashing to the ground.

"Strange," Stark calls again. "What was that?"

"I was trying to look forward into the future," Stephen heaves, "to look at the possible outcomes of the coming conflict. And… but there was-"

He breaks off, unable to comprehend the magnitude of the reality – realities – he was thrust into. Stephen's eyes find the Time Stone, innocently hanging from his neck. He fingers it, and finds himself terrified of its power for the first time since he started wearing it.

"I think I saw the past," he completes. "I think I saw an alternate dimension, another reality – something…"

Peter Parker is wide eyed. The aliens – those who call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy – stare at him as if _he_ was the oddly-colored weirdo from space.

"I need to speak with Thor," Stephen says.

"Woah, there," Stark interjects. "If you hadn't noticed, we're in space, and Thanos is coming soon. Remember that? The future of half of the universe's population depends on us."

"It doesn't," Stephen says.

"Can I stop you there?" Star-Lord intervenes. "What was that you said about, what? Alternate realities? Did you see the future?"

Stephen hesitates. He doesn't fully understand the meaning of his visions, or why a certain God of Mischief who is long dead is at the center of them. "I saw six hundred and forty-three timelines, all leading up to this moment."

"And in how many do we win?" Stark is the one who dares to ask.

Stephen pauses. "Only this one."

His prediction comes true; they defeat Thanos. The Titan lays in a grass field in Wakanda, his head severed from his neck with the bone still jutting out. Stephen stares at it, a memory threatening to overwhelm him. He's been here before, seen this vulnerability on a God who is not the one who kneels now among his victorious companions.

"Thor," he calls.

The God of Thunder turns to the sorcerer, a glint of wisdom beyond his – admittedly – long years in his eyes. "It was a good fight, friend."

Stephen stares still at Thanos' head. Beside it, he can see a fallen god, with blood and tears smudged on his cheeks, weeping for none to see. "I need to speak with you," Stephen tells the god of thunder.

Thor rips his gaze away from the celebrations and frowns. "Speak, then."

In his mind's eye, Stephen sees the destruction of the world, and it is then that he _remembers_. "It's about Loki."

The god of thunder's attitude immediately changes. His countenance shifts, his eyes dull, and his shoulders slump. Strange, still assaulted by vivid memories that aren't his, cannot remember where Loki stood with Thor before he died. He cannot even try to understand how Loki was able to navigate all those paths.

"My brother is dead," Thor says, as though he wishes he were too. "He can no longer cause any trouble."

"Your brother," Stephen replies, "saved the world."

He tells him then. Stephen starts with the sudden visions he had on Titan, describes the Time Stone's powers, his suspicions about the many times he and the Ancient One used it to aid Loki in his quest.

"The last time he fell," Stephen finishes, "he did on purpose."

They've attracted a crowd now. Some of the Avengers – those who are still alive after the fight and conscious enough to follow the story – listen aptly and silently. Asgard's warrior, who had come to assist in the battle, wear solemn expressions.

"Loki knew Thanos more intimately than any of us. I don't know how he changed the timeline, but in that year when he was gone, he must have cheated him somehow, worked against him from the inside. In our original timeline, Asgard was… gone. You were gone. We lost. And your brother destroyed the world."

The look on Thor's face is haggard at best. He is haunted by memories that are not his to recall, and by the unrecognized bravery of a brother he thought a traitor.

"I saw more than I can understand," Stephen continues, "but it was here that I stood with your brother when he agreed to use the Time Stone to save the world. And you know the prophecy – when the second is savior-"

"The first is destroyer," Thor completes in a whisper.

It is in that field that Thanos was vanquished the first time by Loki's knife and the last time by Thor's axe. It is in that field that Loki offered to sacrifice his sanity and eternal rest to save the world he had destroyed. It is in that field that Thor Odinson crumbled under the weight of the truth and wept again for the brother he had loved and killed. It is in that field that both prophecies came true – that the second became both destroyer and savior, and that the world was both destroyed and saved.

Days later, as the sun sets on the Realm Eternal, the maidens of Asgard sing a mournful tune with voices that of doves as Loki Odinson's shrouded boat glides along the river. The fierce warriors that had won the war kneel in respect when a shower of sparks erupts above the void left by the waterfall, and their united voices shout the praises of the prince who had secured their victory.

Asgard will never forget the tragedy that had befallen the royal family six years prior, and the truth of that incident will now forever be etched in the memories of its residents. The prince who was once shunned is now acclaimed and mourned, and a grateful universe has come to replace the one he destroyed in his grief.

Thor cries for the brother he now knows forced him to kill him. Frigga weeps in grief and pride. Odin recalls the day he stumbled upon that small innocent baby in Jotunheim, and wonders why the universe couldn't have spared his son this pain. For he realizes now that his plan was a success, that Thor was spared death, but that his own heart was not any less broken for it.

For though Loki Odinson had struggled against fate with all his might, the God of Mischief's last trick always aligned with fate's designs. Be it in New York, on Svartalfheim, or on the Statesmen, Loki's tricks all failed except for this one: the one in which Loki seeks out his own death – the one in which he tricks himself.

* * *

**Endnote:** I can honestly say that writing this story was both complicated and exciting, and I hope I was able to convey the full scope of the meaning behind it. If you're wondering, the anonymous dialogue in italics is between Loki and the Ancient One after Thor dies that last time. Feel free to leave a review – it would in fact be very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this story! Till next time!


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